Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,
I chose to test whether hot water can freeze faster than colder water. This is backed by an effect called the "Mpemba Effect". This is an observation that under certain circumstances, warmer water does in fact freeze faster than colder. I initially just went with the hypothesis, "Can warmer water freeze faster than colder water-The Mpemba Effect", for my local science fair. I got a superior, and I am moving on to the next and larger fair. However, I am starting to think that the hypothesis does not fit. If there is already a valid effect and observation for this, simply testing this effect seems useless. How should I word my hypothesis? I tested under 50degrees c and 65 degrees celsius. I then tested 75 and 30, and also 20 and 10. It seemed to work for the first two, but the last one, the colder water container reached freezing point faster. It is not consistent for everything. The judges at the next fair will actually know what I am talking about, so I need my hypothesis and results to be logical. Thanks!

Bananadifa wrote:"Can warmer water freeze faster than colder water-The Mpemba Effect"

The fundamental thing wrong with your hypothesis is it is in the form of a question! All hypothesis MUST be a statement so that the outcome of your investigation is: 1) proving your hypothesis, 2) disproving your hypothesis, or 3) inconclusive result (you could neither prove nor disprove your hypothesis for any number of reasons).

If you actually ran your experiments with the assumption that the Mphemba Effect was real and you were going to prove it was real, then your actual hypothesis could be stated:
"Warmer water can freeze faster than colder water - The Mpemba Effect"

Your data supports the above hypothesis. It would disprove the following set of hypothesis:
"Warmer water always freezes faster than colder water"
"Colder water always freezes faster than warmer water"

For scientific honesty, YOU MUST stick with a proper statement of the hypothesis that you started out with. You can't change your hypothesis to match your results. So now you have a dilema. Go back and have somebody read your actual early research and experimental proceedure notes and see what you actually said and see what support there was for a hypothesis statement (as opposed to a scientific question). If there isn't any evidence, then you should have the integrity to come right out and say that you messed up in choosing a hypothesis that wasn't a statement. If that causes your project to be judged less, then so be it.

Scientific integrity and honesty is a price that must be paid. I know of at least one Regional best of show winner in the graduating class ahead of me that was seen as a scientific wiz and eventually lost his carreer and was fired in disgrace for lack of scientific integrity and all the organizations and projects he was involved with came under suspicion and had to be rigorously re-investigated.

The lack of scientific integrity is unforgivable and is a MUCH HIGHER price to pay than simply admitting you had a "learning experience". Grades 6-8 is a GREAT age to learn the lesson that it isn't about winning, it is about actually learning and that includes the scientific method and scientific integrity.